You guys!!! I was so excited with my first attempt at Pate a Choux. I was always under the impression that they were difficult. I am so glad that choux pastry was chosen as the theme for this month's Baking Bloggers group, led by Sue of Palatable Pastime.
I would never have tried these had they not been chosen by the group for our January project. I decided to make savory appetizers instead of a dessert.
I served these at a Cocktail Party on December 29th. I had tons of leftover sweets from Christmas and leftover ham that needed to be used so going savory was a perfect solution.
These gorgeous Pate a Choux made a great addition to the appetizers I had placed on a buffet for my guests.
I took the large chunk of ham from the bone to make the filling and then the bone got put into the soup pot. I'll be sharing the soup recipe later this month.
You can fill these with any savory filling that you would like. You will find my recipe for ham salad
here but they would be equally delicious with
Chicken Salad, tuna salad, crab salad or even thinly sliced roast beef piled inside.
I used
this recipe from Alton Brown and it will be my go to from now forward. I will be making Pate a Choux again and can't wait to try the sweet version for cream puffs. Now that I know how easy it is the possibilities are endless!!
I halved the recipe as I was only having 4 couples at the gathering. Had I known how well they were going to turn out I would have made the full recipe.
Savory Pate a Choux
slightly adapted from Alton Brown
1/2 c. water
3 T. butter
1 t. salt
3 oz. flour
2 lg. eggs + 1 egg white
Place the water, butter and salt in a small pot over med high heat and bring to a boil. Remove pot from heat and stir in flour. Return to heat and mix until all flour is incorporated and mixture is in the form of a ball. Place into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and let cool for about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on the low setting, add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Place dough into a pastry bag fitted with the round tip. Pipe onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Each piece should be about the size of a golf ball and spaced 2" apart.
Place in a preheated 450* oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and pierce with the tip of a small paring knife to release steam.
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Let's take a look at what the others baked up!
Choux Pastry
